RALEIGH, NC – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has trimmed its training camp roster to 31 players. Forwards Keith Aucoin, Vince Bellissimo, Pavel Brendl and Kevin Estrada, defenseman Chris Hajt and goaltenders Craig Kowalski and Kevin Nastiuk have been sent to the Lowell Lock Monsters’ training camp. The Lock Monsters play in the American Hockey League and are the Hurricanes’ top minor-league affiliate.

Along with the seven players sent to Lowell, goaltender Justin Peters (Toronto-St. Michaels Majors) and defenseman Jakub Vojta (Ottawa 67s) were each returned to their Ontario Hockey League clubs. The Hurricanes selected Peters in the second round (38th overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and he will play his fourth season of junior hockey with the Majors. Vojta, who Carolina selected in the fourth round (94th overall) of the 2005 draft, will play his first season of North American hockey with the 67s.

Carolina’s 2005 training camp continues Friday with practice at the RBC Center beginning at 10 a.m. On Saturday the team will leave for Atlanta’s Philips Arena, the site of the Hurricanes’ first game of back-to-back exhibition contests against the Thrashers (Saturday, 7 p.m.) and the Nashville Predators (Sunday, 5 p.m.). Carolina opens the regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at Tampa Bay before returning to Raleigh for its home opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, Oct. 7. Individual game tickets for Opening Night at the RBC Center, and all Hurricanes games in October and November are available at the RBC Center box office, all TicketMaster outlets, at CarolinaHurricanes.com and by calling 919-834-4000.